“They’re not culturally part of the UK’s design language yet,” says Taylor, referring to external shutters. “But if we’re expecting Mediterranean temperatures, we need to start designing for them.” Much of that work will involve retrofitting homes that already exist. More than 1,000 London homes have already been upgraded through the Mayor’s Warmer Homes programme, with plans to retrofit 16,000. But Anderson warns the pace is nowhere near fast enough. The capital is currently adapting homes around 10 times more slowly than needed, he says, while many previous retrofits focused on keeping homes warm in winter rather than cool in summer.
